THEODORE SAMUEL WILLIAMS
August 30, 1918 - July 5, 2002
WE'VE ALL LOST A HERO
The world has lost one of its great citizens. America has lost a hero. The memories of Ted Williams will live on for years and years to come.
The country was deeply affected on July 5, 2002 as word spread that Ted Williams had died. Spontaneously, many people flocked to the Ted Williams Museum. Countless others flooded us with phone calls, card and letters, all expressing their loss and many recognizing that we at the Museum shared that sadness. Ted's life, however, was one to celebrate - and the mission of the Ted Williams Museum and its many programs will be to continue to inspire people with the example Ted set and to encourage them to support the causes in which Ted believed.
FENWAY PARK CELEBRATES TED'S LIFE
On July 22, 2002, a celebration of an American hero was held at Fenway Park and, as the New York Times described it, the occasion offered "his extended family, old teammates and Red Sox fans from all over New England" the opportunity not so much to grieve Ted's passing but to celebrate with stories, reminiscences and appreciations - some of what Ted Williams has meant to so many people over several generations. The event was very well presented and truly left those in attendance feeling uplifted by this man who had touched them. It remains the responsibility of the Ted Williams Museum to carry forward and give voice to the goals to which Ted Williams dedicated his life.
WORDS OF APPRECIATION FOR TED
Many people have written words in appreciation of Ted Williams. One of the most succinct, yet moving tributes, came in one sentence by Red Sox fan Paul Penta. He wrote: "His passing feels like one of the faces on Mount Rushmore has disappeared."
"SIMPLY THE BEST" Says George Bush "When I was a young high school student, a true Red Sox fan back then, I worshipped the ground Ted walked on. So did every other baseball fan. Ted Williams was simply the best hitter in baseball. He knew it, and his confidence at the plate was contagious. Later on, Ted became one of the best fly-casting fishermen in the world. As in baseball, excellence was the key word there. Ted had been fighting illness for a long time. Now he is at peace. His friends will mourn. All baseball fans will say, "Ted, we honor you as the best hitter baseball has ever produced." That was his goal, and he reached it. Of course, there still are heroes. Ted Williams was a true hero - in baseball and in life." "A REAL LIFE HERO" to Robert Redford "Any heroes I had when I was a kid were pretty much born out of reading Greek mythology. In real life, in real time, there was only one. It was Ted Williams. In those days, I had no access to television or Major League ball (Los Angeles was then in the Pacific Coast League). The sport magazines and the radio were my only connection to the grander ballparks, which meant I had to create my own images of each inning. Communication was by pictures. It was these pictures of Williams - relaxed, waiting effortlessly, wrists compensating for the delay in motion and, at the last second, exploding, in graceful rhythm, bat to ball - that were my inspiration. From the Forward to the book, "Ted Williams: The Pursuit of Perfection." For more information about Ted Williams and his fascinating life, please go to the Official Ted Williams Web Site.
"This greatest of ballplayers was a close friend to me and to my family . . . More importantly, he was a friend. He was a loyal guy, a good man."
Ted served his country in two wars. As a Marine pilot, he set a tremendous example for other celebrities in America. He believed in service to country, and indeed he served with honor. While many celebrities found ways to avoid real service, Ted was right there, out front, flying fighter planes.
I imagined being there. I imagined hitting the same ball from the same side in the same way. I admired his reticence to joining the Big Parade of publicity, hype and show, which has become so tiresomely prevalent in today's sporting world. He had only disdain for that. He just hit - and did it better than possibly any left-handed batter before or since. I feel much the same way now as I did then, and I still look on with admiration. Uncompromising behavior both in and out of the park. Years later, when I made "The Natural," I dedicated my number to him. It was the least I could do."
